Minnesota United’s new signing, Darwin Quintero, trains with the Loons at the National Sports Center in Blaine after officially becoming the club’s first Designated Player on April 2, 2018. (Courtesy of Minnesota United FC)

Life imitated sports when Darwin Quintero heard the word “English” during an interview with the Pioneer Press this week. Like the speedy playmaker intends to perform for Minnesota United, the Colombian saw an opening and filled it.

After seven replies in his native Spanish tongue, he was asked about his second-language lessons since arriving in Minnesota on March 28. He paused and then gave a sample of what he’s learned.

“It’s very important (… to be able to communicate) with people, coach, the city,” Quintero said, with some assistance from United’s public relations manager and translator Jessica Lopez. “It’s very important for me and my family (to learn) English.”

While Quintero will be judged ultimately by what he produces on the field for the Loons, the eight hours he has spent each week learning introductory English reveals another layer in his commitment to live up to the heightened expectations as United’s first Designated Player.

Quintero, Minnesota’s debut addition to receive a salary in excess of a million dollars a season, will make his Loons debut against the Portland Timbers on Saturday in Providence Park. His communication and chemistry with new teammates will be vital as Minnesota (2-3) looks to snap a two-game losing streak and end a 204-minute scoreless drought.

Quintero said his two weeks in Minnesota have gone well. “Adapting myself to the pitch, happy with how everyone has received me on the team,” he said in Spanish and translated by Lopez. “I just have a lot of hope for good things to come.”

Quintero mentioned United captain Francisco Calvo, a Costa Rican center back, as instrumental in helping him assimilate to the U.S. after playing a decade in Mexico’s Liga MX.

“It’s been very important because he’s made life easier here,” Quintero said. “Really grateful for him for what he’s done off the pitch — same with Miguel (Ibarra), same with Christian (Ramirez).”

They’ve helped Quintero by going out to dinner, assisting him in finding a place to live and attending a Timberwolves games using United owner Bill McGuire’s courtside seats at Target Center.

“When you’re a player and you have a new signing, you know very, very quickly whether the guy is going to settle in,” United coach Adrian Heath said. “One of the things that we found out really quickly is he’s a very popular guy everywhere he’s been in the dressing room. I know people at Club America (Quintero’s previous club). Even the directors were loathe to see him leave because he was an integral part of what they’d had. … (In Minnesota,) he settled in really well and we think he’s going to help us in the final third, which is why we brought him in.”

As Quintero tries to fit in, he will always have an added distinction. MLS clubs can sign three Designated Players, or DPs, that aren’t limited to the league’s salary structure. Until Quintero, Minnesota hadn’t used a DP slot in its year-plus in the league, meaning the 5-foot-5 center attacking midfielder is in rarified air with the club.

But Quintero, 30, said he doesn’t feel added pressure to perform.

“No, it’s more of a responsibility than anything else,” he said. “It’s something that I relish in and those sorts of challenges are what I like most.”

The Loons have benefited from no scheduled game last week, giving them more time to integrate Quintero into their system. Right winger Ethan Finlay said he is trying to probe Quintero in an effort to try to understand how he wants to play and where he likes the ball. Ibarra has served as translator in those conversations.

“Try to get an idea if he can explain what he wants me to do or what he was trying to do, things like that,” Finlay said.

Some of it comes naturally. “What’s great in a game like soccer is it speaks for itself,” Finlay said. “It’s a language in itself and you start to figure things out. I’m excited because I think he’s going to be able to unlock a lot of things that we haven’t been able to do after losing (Kevin Molino to a torn ACL in March) — a bit of a playmaker in the middle. His one-on-one ability obviously will help everyone around him.”

After Quintero showed his willingness to try English, he reverted back to Spanish to say if he scores a goal Saturday, his celebration will first thank God and then his wife.

“Ojalá se pueda empezar anotando gol,” Quintero said, which translates to, “I hope to be able to start off by scoring.”

Andy Greder covers the Gophers and Minnesota United for the Pioneer Press. Since joining the paper full time in November 2013, he has also covered the Timberwolves as a beat and spot duty from the Vikings to high schools. He was a part-time breaking news reporter at the Pioneer Press from 2011-13, when he was also a freelance writer and organic farmer. He started at the Duluth News Tribune in 2006, covering sports, news and business until living abroad in 2010.

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